Flurry of Fun at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Food Review

On November 8, Disney’s Hollywood Studios released holiday foods throughout the park as part of the Flurry of Fun promotion. The number of items is daunting but we gave it our best shot for you, dear readers.

There were a couple of stand-outs, several in the middle, and one that received the reaction of “this is what disappointment tastes like.”

The winners:

Best intersection of tasting good and holiday appropriateness:

Eggnog Panna Cotta – Catalina Eddie’s – $4.99

Even though this was among the last items reviewed, Len declared “I could actually eat all of this.” Considering that he had to be shamed into continuing the reviews after the second stop (“you can’t quit; it’s your JOB to do this”), that’s some high praise. It tastes exactly how it sounds – like eggnog, with raspberry fruit and raspberry crunch for flavor.

The thing we knew would taste good that did:

Cinnamon Apple Cranberry Lunchbox Tart – Woody’s Lunchbox – $3.29

We’re already fans of the lunchbox tarts at Woody’s. The seasonal flavor is heavy on the apple cinnamon and barely there on the cranberry, with a flaky crust and not overly sweet taste. At $3.29, this is a bargain to boot.

The rest:

The photo Disney released of these looks fantastic. The reality isn’t quite the same. It was 85°F on the day we reviewed this, and they did not hold up well in the heat. The decorations were melting off as we received the macarons and the texture had already gone to the chewiness of a meringue that likes the Florida weather about as much as I do.

Macaron on the right – “I woke up like this.”

Biggest good surprise:

Gingerbread Pop – Anaheim Produce, churro carts – $3.99

It’s a gingerbread man on a stick! The cookie is a perfect chewy gingerbread, the size is good for the price, and it’s super cute. What’s not to like?

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate:

Chocolate Chestnut Cone – Backlot Express – $5.79

Spiced Cold Chocolate – Rosie’s All-American – $4.99

Chocolate Mousse Present – ABC Commissary – $4.79

The Chocolate Chestnut Cone wins this one for best presentation and seasonal appropriate flavor. It’s very light and good for people looking for a dessert that won’t weigh them down. The Spiced Cold Chocolate is a rich, tasty chocolate mousse and chocolate cake in a cup. That it’s served in a cup helps it hold up in the heat better than several of the desserts we tried. I’d be hard pressed to pick out a “spiced” flavor, but it’s altogether pleasing for chocolate fans. This is the most heavy of the three chocolate items listed here. The Chocolate Mousse Present is beautiful, but only tastes OK. The texture is airy and light, but the coating was melting before we finished with the photos.

The Chocolate Mousse Present

Lumps of coal:

“It tastes like nothing:”

Caramel Eclair – Dockside Diner – $5.49

Don’t even bother with this. There is nearly no caramel taste and the choux dough shell would get you kicked off a baking competition show.

Imagine a cheap fudge-cicle as a watery, icy beverage. Now half the chocolate flavor. That’s this. If you really want a cold, chocolate drink, just head to Starbucks and get a Frappucino. This isn’t just mediocre, it’s not good.

Hall of Shame. At least in the case of the Frozen Hot Cocoa we can say it tastes as good as it looks.

Things we didn’t review:

Festive Popcorn – $7.50 – at popcorn carts around the park and at Baseline Taphouse

This is caramel corn mixed with nuts, crispy pearls, candy-coated chocolates, and mini sugar cookies. We imagine it tastes about like that.

Sugar cookies large and small, and candied apples. They’re Instagram-friendly and you already know what they taste like.

Seasonal cupcakes. Enough with the cupcakes already.

Many, many cocktails. Some sounded tasty, others not so much, but it was a hot afternoon and day-drinking just wasn’t in the cards: